It Started With A Touch
by WriterOnAMission
Summary: After tonight's C4 episode 10/04/12 I had to write this, Doug was so cute with Ste there and it's an exciting prospect what could unfold especially with Mr Brady's influence - One shot for now but I may continue it R&R thanks!
1. Chapter 1

Doug sat in the half light of the spring evening which cascaded through the windows of the flat. Hugging himself he thought about what had just happened. One moment he was fixing the electricity and next he was experiencing his own….He could still feel the warmth of the other body, so close to his own, the intoxicating smell of the cloth he rested his head against.

He shook himself; this was crazy; he was out of his mind, reading too deeply in to anything and everything, but then he had always exaggerated things, not that he'd ever admit it out loud. He smirked to himself at his own foolishness; no way was he experiencing anything along the lines of what he had just masqueraded. The quiet in the flat was ringing in his ears, whispers through the air that he couldn't make out. It was making him dizzy just hearing the silence become so loud. One voice was just about recognisable _Ste_…

With a shout Doug stood up casting his slightly shaky hands over his face in frustration. What was happening to him? He felt like he had run miles and miles and had forgotten to breathe the whole time. That could have been to do with the fact that he had run from the shop back home or it could have been because –

_No!_

Quickly he forced as many memories he could to flash before his eyes – memories of Bex mainly….wearing very little. He smiled at the images he saw enjoying himself, this is what he knew and loved, this is what he wanted, all he had ever wanted and it wouldn't change…Would it? Suddenly it was all too much; he escaped the whispers of the lounge to the bathroom, switching on the light as he entered, to fully illuminate the mirror that covered one of the walls.

No change, he was the same old Doug he had always been, he was imagining things, the darkness was poisoning his perception making him falter – he sighed in relief. It was the exhaustion of the week catching up with him, all the tension over whether they would get the propriety or not was finally dispelling. He also concluded that he had probably been spending too much time with his business partner and the fact that he hadn't been on hugging terms with anyone for a long while countered in to it heavily.

All at once a twist in his stomach had him thinking about that moment again and a sick feeling emerged and burned through his very person. His breathing hitched as glimpses of unwanted feelings and thoughts swamped his mind and body. Running the tap he covered his face in water, attempting to wash away the memory along with the liquid now disappearing down the sink.

He looked in to the mirror again and after another inspection, he had to laugh, this couldn't really be happening, to someone like himself, could it? It had been so simple yesterday and the day before that and the day before. Everything had changed in that moment, with that touch.

"Oh god," He told his reflection

Just one touch.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey everyone, well after the feedback from you guys after the first chapter and the fact that I found myself waking up at an ungodly hour needing to write more of this! I bring you the second chapter! I am aware that this storyline on screen and progressed sufficiently, but I still want to explore it and maybe put my own spin on it. I hope you all like this and thanks for your support so far _

Doug awoke from a restless night's sleep – in fact restless was putting it lightly. As soon as he switched his light out; his mind and heart decided to race each other. Why did he have to over think everything so much? Making mountains out of mole hills his dad used to call it, as a younger version of himself rattled off another exaggerated turn of events.

Of course there was no one around to say that now, no one in which Doug could tell all this too, not that he'd ever tell his dad this. Thinking about it, there was hardly anyone around anymore, all his friends were off living their own lives which conveniently didn't include Doug. Or maybe he'd been spending so much time with Ste he hadn't noticed them….possibly.

The prospect of work today seemed to be beginning to haunt him, just the thought of being alone with Ste after the night he'd just lived through was daunting enough with out the added bonus of the dreams, slowly reforming in his mind, dreams of one moment fabricated by his own over active imagination.

Just when he thought things couldn't get awkward enough….

Walking in to the empty shell they were supposed to call a business, Doug registered the delivery men dropping off materials. Just then Ste came out from the back room and started talking to the other men, forgetting himself Doug just watched as Ste spoke in that slightly childish way, coupled with that over powering childish energy, that just seemed to be infectious, captivating everyone and drawing him in….drawing others in.

The American blinked as he saw the group approaching, the delivery men left and Ste stopped at Doug

"Hey," he greeted with a smile, placing his hand on Doug's shoulder. He tensed slightly at the touch, waiting for a spike of that feeling. Running his hand down his arm, Ste stepped out of the shop; he was gone and Doug was alone.

That one moment proved that he had been over thinking things yesterday. It was all in his head, so why was the feeling still clinging to him? He hadn't felt the same punch of feeling as yesterday but that feeling was still tracing lines all over him. Suddenly that glimpse of hope seemed to drown in the unshakable confusing buzz of emotions.

He was feeling like one word said wrong would give away too much so he decided to stay quiet for the most part, only speaking when spoken to or when it was absolutely necessary. He just hoped his looks would go unnoticed because that was the one thing he couldn't control. Ste chatted away while they worked, completely unaware that his best friend only had enough courage to answer questions directed to him – thankfully the questions of what's wrong? Or where did you go last night? Didn't come up.

He felt guilty because he owed Ste these answers – Who does that? Who leaves their business partner and their business on a whim of flimsy feelings? Forget that _who leaves their best friend because of some half baked story book fantasy? _Well he could at least answer that one – a coward.

But that was Doug all over, a coward; why else would he become the village lap dog, doing everyone else's dirty work in exchange for a pat on the back and a false smile. He found far too many fake people in this village – it was in the school girl pretending to be older, in the father taking other's children, in the woman sleeping with her boyfriend's dad and in the American denying his feelings….

"Need some help?" Riley asked, breaking Doug from his inner turmoil. He and Ste had been trying to shift one crate for the best part of fifteen minutes, _heavy anything has never really been our strong point _he thought with a smile. Although now Riley was here, Doug saw his chance. "That's great cause er, I need to go and do some things,"

"Uh no you don't!" Ste replied angrily

"I'll be back later," Doug called exiting quickly, he couldn't bare to see the disappointed and anger on his partner's face.

"Doug!" he heard Ste shout behind him, but he didn't turn back

Out in the street, Doug let the cool springtime breeze dance across his suddenly too hot face. Closing his eyes, he breathed in deeply trying to, with every fibre of his person, exhale this feeling that was infecting him more and more with each step he took. "God help me," he muttered hurrying away from the scene of his confusion.

Later he found himself sitting on a bench in the park, headphones in, turning off the world with the turning on of the music, now pulsing through him. He let the familiar detached feeling overtake him, as he raised the volume – not wanting any sounds of reality to reach him. The ambience of the peace which coursed through him numbed his feelings to a point where he could nearly think clearly….Nearly. He was just an illusionist with some sick need to feel the isolation of self destruction, he supposed he got some sort of thrill from it, but that was insane, wasn't it?

After a longer absence of real life, Doug found himself sitting alone on top of the stone arch that over looked the village. The stone arch where upon, due to his actions, he had hurt someone close to him so many months before. A shiver went down his spine, while he looked down at his feet freely swinging below him, as he thought about what he had done. He wanted so much to run away again, far away from all this, the people, the places, the feelings. But that never helped, it wouldn't change anything.

Letting out a shout of frustration, he stood up, turning his head to the skies he breathed in deeply, again trying to calm himself and exhale the pent up feelings. He really had to stop over thinking – he thought not for the first or last time.


End file.
